


it’s a cruel summer with you

by an_expensive_imagination



Series: Jeronica Goes to Yale [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst? We Don’t Know Her, College AU, Everyone In Riverdale Finds Out They’re Dating, F/M, Jeronica Comes Home For the Summer, Jeronica Goes To Yale, These Idiots Hold Hands A Lot, They Do Lots Of Dumb Summer Shit, minor Choni
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:01:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23122912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/an_expensive_imagination/pseuds/an_expensive_imagination
Summary: “Humphrey,” Kevin starts, narrowing his eyes at Jughead, “are you ass-backwards crushing on Blair Waldorf?”Jughead rolls his eyes, but the corners of his lips quirk up as he fights off a smile. Thanks to Veronica, he now understands that reference.Veronica rolls her eyes, too, but she’s grinning. “Shut up, Kevin.”
Relationships: Jughead Jones/Veronica Lodge
Series: Jeronica Goes to Yale [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662043
Comments: 45
Kudos: 195





	1. devils roll the dice

**Author's Note:**

> I was super happy to hear that some of you were interested in seeing more of the Jeronica College AU. Fair warning: this is them coming back to Riverdale for the summer, telling everyone they’re together and doing random summer activities together. Please let me know what you think!

**summer  
part 1**

* * *

They stay an extra weekend at school after they’re done with finals. 

Partly to take advantage of the fact that Jughead now has his room all to himself, but also because they’ve grown quite comfortable in their Yale bubble. They both have a lingering feeling that going to Riverdale will pop them right out of it.   
  
“Hey, Guillermo del Toro is a visionary,” Jughead states, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Veronica rolls her eyes, crawling into bed next to him with a fresh bag of popcorn. “I’m not saying I disagree,” she says, “I’m just saying we’re not watching _Pacific Rim_ again.” 

“Fine,” he concedes. “But no more Audrey Hepburn either.”

Veronica’s leg comes up to hook around his thigh. “You say that now, but I saw how invested you got when we were watching _Roman Holiday_.” She runs her fingers through his hair. “How about _Little Women_ , and we order in pizza for dinner cause I don’t wanna get dressed to go out?” 

“Done.” Jughead can’t resist pulling her on top of him for a kiss. “You gotta admit though, we’d totally be drift compatible,” he says before opening the bag of popcorn and popping a handful into his mouth. 

Veronica purses her lips as she thinks that over. “We’d probably argue over everything to no end, but _yes_ ,” she grabs his face and pecks his lips, soft and quick, “we would definitely be drift compatible.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Jughead grins, already going through all the pizza places he has saved on his phone. 

“Oh, I got you something.” Veronica leans over the side of the bed and digs around her purse for something. “Here,” she reaches for his hand and slides a ring on his finger. 

Jughead stares at the crown-shaped ring and smiles. “What’s this for?”

“I like it, so I’m putting a ring on it,” Veronica says, reaching to squeeze his ass. “It’s silly, but I saw it and I thought of you. You gave up the crown-beanie, so I figured this could be a suitable alternative.”

“I love it,” he says, pulling her close to his chest. 

“You know, we haven’t talked about how things are going to play out once we’re back in Riverdale.” She hates to bring up the elephant in the room, but one of them had to do it. 

Jughead groans. “Do we _have to_?” he asks, hugging her tighter. “I vote we wing it. Someone’s bound to see us together and, true to form for a small town, word will spread like wildfire.”

“About that,” Veronica starts, her index finger absentmindedly drawing patterns across his chest, “Cheryl already knows.”

“Cheryl _Blossom_?” Jughead asks, but of course it’s her and of course she already knows. “How’d that happen?”

“We were talking on FaceTime a few days ago and she hadn’t let up about who I was seeing since Spring Break,” Veronica explains. “So she said something along the lines of ‘ _come on, it’s not like you hooked up with Jughead_ ’ and then she might have noticed the look on my face and it all escalated from there...”

Jughead has to laugh at that. “The most surprising part of that story is that she actually called me ‘Jughead’ instead of hobo or something,” he says. “All right, so that’s one down. Two, actually, since I’m assuming she’ll tell Toni.” He sighs, says, “Look, Archie texted that he’ll arrive from B.U. in a few days, and I think my dad said Betty would be coming down with him. How about I tell Arch and you tell Betty, and then we meet up and compare notes?” 

“Divide and conquer.” Veronica presses a kiss to his jaw. “Sounds like a plan.”

(Later on, they’ll both remember what it is they say about the best laid plans...)

* * *

It is officially the last day to finish packing up the dorm rooms and it feels a bit like they are the last people on campus right now. 

“How did you manage to accumulate so much crap in such a short period of time?” Jughead asks as he finishes taping up another box. 

Veronica and Lydia had rented a storage unit in town for the summer to avoid having to haul their things all the way back to home for the break. Jughead hadn’t had as much to pack up, but he’d taken them up on the offer to store his things there as well. 

“Hey,” Veronica protests, “no lip unless it’s to kiss me.” She demonstrates the concept, standing on her tiptoes to peck his lips. 

Jughead wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. “I am now done boxing up your shelves,” he informs her. “You ready to go?”

Veronica nods, grabbing her last bag. “I’ll bring the U-Haul around to load everything. We actually made pretty decent time packing this place up.”

“Very generous use of the word ‘ _we_ ’ there,” Jughead says as he piles the last of boxes near the door. 

Veronica rolls her eyes and slaps his ass. “You will be paid with as many Insomnia cookies as you can carry before we leave town!”

Jughead grins. “I recall what I was bribed with, yes,” he says. “I can think of other ways you can pay me for my moving services though,” he adds, waggling his eyebrows. 

“Put it on my tab, you know I’m good for it.” Veronica winks. 

* * *

The perk of leaving most of their things in storage is that they have minimal baggage. Which, in turn, means that they can comfortably drive down to Riverdale together on Jughead’s bike. 

Like always, Veronica is pressed tight against his back, head resting against his shoulder. Jughead hasn’t said it out loud to her, but he really loves riding around with her. In fact, it’s one of his favorite things. When he places a hand on her thigh, the arms locked around his chest tighten in response and he grins. 

God, he loves this girl. 

* * *

They arrive at the Cooper-Jones house sometime in the afternoon, figuring they’d take advantage of the empty house. For all their back and forth, they hadn’t actually discussed how to tell their families about their relationship yet. 

Still, to say that they’re surprised that the first person to find out they’re together is Jellybean Jones would have been a severe understatement. 

“Welcome home,” Jughead mutters, dropping his duffel bag and crashing down on the couch. “Being here is still weird...”

“Well, you know what they say.” Veronica follows him, plopping down on his lap and circling her arms around his neck. “There’s no place like home.”

“I’ve never cared for _Wizard of Oz_ ,” Jughead admits. “I was always more into _Wicked_.”

“Great musical,” Veronica agrees with a swift nod. 

Jughead scrunches up his nose. “I meant the book.”

“I figured as much,” Veronica replies, “but the musical gives it a happy ending.” She leans down to whisper into his ear, “ _And I like happy endings_.”

Jughead pulls her in for a kiss and soon enough she’s doing that thing where she rakes her fingernails through his hair, so of course it’s no surprise that neither of them hears the front door open. 

“ _Holy shit_!”

It’s a wonder of acrobatics how they both break apart and jump to their feet without either of them landing flat on their ass. They stand side by side, trying to catch their breaths, and their fingers are still somehow intertwined. 

“Jellybean!” Jughead awkwardly half-smiles, running a hand through his hair. “Didn’t think anyone was home.”

“ _Clearly_ ,” Jellybean snorts. 

Jughead clears his throat. “Um, this is Veronica. Lodge. My girlfriend.”

“ _Girlfriend_?” Jellybean stares at Veronica for a beat too long, eyes narrowed as she takes her in from head to toe. “Nice to officially meet you, Veronica.” Then she actually extends a hand out. “I’m Jellybean Jones, the sister.”

Jughead is glaring down at his baby sister; he can’t believe this is actually happening right now. 

But Veronica only nods, shaking her hand firmly, like they’re closing a business deal or something. “Very nice to officially meet you, too, Jellybean,” she says. “I’ve heard a lot of great things about you.”

“Interesting.” Jellybean is still eyeing Veronica like she’s trying to size her up somehow. “You know you’re not allowed to break my brother’s heart, right?”

Veronica’s cheeks turn pink, but she presses on. “Um, I would never dream of it,” she answers with an earnest tone. All at once, her answer surprises Jughead and mollifies Jellybean.

“Then we’re cool.” Jellybean finally flashes her a warm smile. Then she turns her eyes to Jughead, says, “Dad and Mrs. Cooper are doing a welcome home dinner for you at Pop’s tonight at eight.” She looks to Veronica and adds, “You should come, too.”

Veronica and Jughead exchange a glance. “That sounds... _fun_ ,” she says, turning to face him head on now. “I’m gonna leave you to settle in. See you at eight?”

Jughead nods, leaning down to peck her lips. “That’s fine. Want me to drive you home?”

Veronica shakes her head. “I can call someone,” she says, already pulling out her phone. “You guys catch up. See you tonight!”

Jughead lets out a long groan when he hears the front door close. “What was _that_ , JB?” 

“Funny, I was just about to ask you the same question, bro.” Jellybean crosses her arms over her chest. “You’re dating _Veronica Lodge_? Your best friend’s ex-girlfriend who’s also your ex-girlfriend’s best friend? That’ll make a fun Venn diagram.”

Jughead pinches the bridge of his nose. “Thanks. I’m well aware of how we’re all connected,” he says, “I don’t need a diagram.”

“I’m just surprised.” Jellybean lifts a shoulder in a lazy half-shrug. “She doesn’t really seem like your type of girl. But I can get on board with it.”

“You _can_?”

“Hey, anything’s better than you dating Betty now that dad and Mrs. Cooper are practically married,” she’s quick to point out. “That would’ve been a little too _Game of Thrones_ for me.”

Jughead shakes his head, rubbing his eyes as he flops back down on the couch. “Why’d you invite her to dinner tonight?” he asks, opting to not even touch the whole Betty-thing right now. 

Jellybean plops down next to him, shrugs. “Figured it’d have great entertainment value. Dad’s gonna _flip_ , Juggie.”

Jughead lets out a scoff. “Sometimes you’re _so_ my sister it’s annoying,” he mutters, throwing his head back and closing his eyes. 

Jellybean just watches him for a beat. “You look happy, Jug,” she says, bumping her knee against his. 

Jughead grins, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head. “She makes me very happy, yes.” 

And it’s only when he’s saying the words out loud that it dawns on him just how true they are. 

* * *

Every time she arrives at the Pembrooke, Veronica’s somewhat surprised at how time seems to have stood still there despite how long she’s been away. She finds it both comforting and perhaps a tad unnerving how little things have changed in absence.

The penthouse is immaculate as always and her bedroom is still the same, and it’s all terribly familiar. 

“ _Mami_ ,” she calls out, “I’m here!” 

She makes her way to the office and finds her mother on the phone. By her tone, it’s obvious she’s mid-argument with someone, but as soon as she sees Veronica she smiles. She ends the call curtly and rushes to hug her daughter tightly. 

“You’re finally back home, _mija_!” 

Veronica smiles, suddenly hit by the realization of just how much she’s missed her mother these past few months. “I feel like we haven’t seen each other in forever.”

“Well, we have a lot to catch up on,” Hermione says, “I wanna hear all about school and your new friends, and any new boyfriends... Shall we order in tonight?”

Veronica flashes her an angelic smile, the one that always used to get her out of trouble when she was little. “About that,” she starts, “I actually have plans tonight. FP and Mrs. Cooper are throwing a welcome home dinner for Jughead at Pop’s. I should be back early, though.”

Hermione frowns, confused. “Why would you need to go to Jughead Jones’ welcome home dinner?”

“Good question.” Veronica rocks on her heels a little bit and clears her throat. “I’m going because...we’re together. Jughead is my boyfriend.”

The silence can’t possibly last more than a few minutes, but somehow it feels like an eternity before Hermione speaks again. “You’re dating the Jones boy?”

Veronica glances up at the ceiling, her lips pressed in a tight smile. “Yes. For most of the year, actually.” 

It’s the simplest answer, really, because regardless of when they made things official, they’d both spent the better part of the year committed to each other. 

“Well, then,” Hermione starts, hands knotted in front of her, “invite him to dinner this Thursday. I’m looking forward to formally meeting Jughead.”

“You’ve already _met_ Jughead,” Veronica is quick to point out. 

“I’ve met Jughead, gang leader of Riverdale High. During dinner, I’m looking forward to meeting Jughead, my daughter’s new boyfriend. We can do it here, seven o’clock sharp.” Hermione starts to leave the room, a clear indicator that the conversation is over, but then she stops, turning on her heel. “ _Mi vida, parece que estás...contenta. Te sienta bien_.”

Veronica’s face flushes, the corners of her mouth turning up into a tentative smile. “I am. Thanks, mom.”

* * *

Jughead stands outside of Pop’s, hands tucked in his jeans’ pockets as he paces by the front door. Every so often he’ll look up, eyes searching for the town car. When he finally spots it, he walks over to open the door for her. 

“Am I late?” Veronica asks as she steps out. 

“Nope. Right on time.” Jughead swallows. “I think I might be nervous.” 

“Pretty sure that’s supposed to be me, since I’m the one about to face familial scrutiny,” Veronica jokes. She sighs, laying a hand on his arm. “You know, we can still back out,” she says. “You can talk to your sister, I can talk to Cheryl, we can...keep this between us.” 

It’s an out, and truthfully she’s not entirely sure if she’s offering it for her sake or his, but there it is anyways. 

Jughead is quick to shake his head, reaching for her hand. “I don’t wanna have to hide this. Not now, not ever. We’re a team, right?” 

Her fingers intertwine with his and she nods. “We’re a team,” she asserts. “You got my back in there?”

“Always.” He smiles, one of those languid grins he seems to always be saving up, the assurance falling from his lips resolutely, almost matter-of-fact.

Veronica smiles, too. “Good. Also, we’re having dinner with my mother on Thursday. So you might wanna mentally prepare for that.” She tugs on his arm, pulling him inside. 

Jughead frowns. “Wait, _what_?”

* * *

Veronica comes to the Cooper-Jones family dinner ready to make a good impression. She has a box of Cuban cigars for FP, and a bottle of wine for Mrs. Cooper, and even a box of Magnolia cupcakes for Jellybean. 

(“Okay, she knows what she’s doing,” Jellybean says when she looks at the assortment of cupcakes.)

Still, when Veronica and Jughead walk into Pop’s hand in hand, her smile is almost meek when she says, “Hey, Mr. Jones,” with a little wave. 

“Dad, you know Veronica.” Jughead clears his throat. “Um, my girlfriend.”

It’s not as awkward as it could be, but there’s definitely tension in the air. 

They eat in near silence, only broken by Alice Cooper making random small talk. If nothing else, she seems openly thrilled that Jughead is dating anyone who’s not her daughter. 

“Well, boy, talk,” FP prompts after another lull in conversation. “What have you been doin’ up at that fancy school that’s always got you so busy?”

Jughead’s already on his second burger of the night. “Um, nothing much,” he says in between bites, “taking a full class load, writing some stuff for the paper sometimes...”

Veronica turns to look at him then. “Hey, not just ‘ _some stuff’_. I read all of your articles. That one you did on the student protests was incredibly well written. You’re totally gonna land a beat next semester.”

Jughead furrows his forehead, staring at her. “You’ve read all my articles?” he asks, the corners of his mouth turning up. 

“Of course,” Veronica replies, scrunching her nose at him in that way he finds unbelievably cute before turning to FP. “I saved my favorite ones, Mr. Jones. I’d be happy to send you copies, if you want to read them.”

FP smiles, despite himself. “I’d like that very much. Thank you, Veronica.” 

“It’s my pleasure.” When Jughead suddenly reaches for her hand on the table, she flashes him a small smile and intertwines their fingers together. 

They do make a pretty good team.

* * *

Jughead walks Veronica back to her town car, both breathing a little easier now that dinner was officially over. 

“Hey, Cheryl’s got a boat for the Dive-In at the lake tomorrow night.” Veronica does the thing where she bites her lower lip and blinks those dark-brown eyes at him. 

Jughead suppressses a groan. “And we’re going?” 

“It’ll be fun! Kevin will be there and Toni told me she invited Sweet Pea and the guys,” Veronica tempts, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. “They’re playing _Jaws_.”

“I do like _Jaws_ ,” he admits, grinning at her now. “Dive-In it is.”

“You know, normally I’d invite you spend the night with me at the Pembrooke,” Veronica starts, “but I have a feeling FP’s gonna want to have _words_ with you when you get home.”

“Probably,” Jughead agrees. He opens the door of the town car for her. “Text you how it goes?”

Veronica nods. “Yes, please. Spare no details, I’m dying to know if I passed.” She grabs his face and pulls him down for a final kiss. “See you tomorrow,”  
she adds with a wink.

* * *

The conversation with FP is relatively short, all things considered. He’s apparently more concerned than he is upset by this new development, and Jughead is relieved about that. He understands why his father would be nervous about him dating Veronica.

“She’s still a Lodge, boy,” FP says firmly, hands on his hips. “I told you that once already, or did you forget?”

But at the end of the day, despite his father’s concerns, it’s simple for Jughead. 

“She’s not just a Lodge,” he replies, equally firm, unwilling to give up any ground. “She’s also just... _Veronica_. And I’m in love with her. Everything else is irrelevant.”

FP smirks then, realizing then and there that his boy isn’t gonna quit Veronica Lodge. He doesn’t blame him; hell, even now, he remembers the allure of Hermione Lodge when they were teenagers. 

“She’s a good kid, Jug,” he relents after a beat. “Be sure to tell her she’s welcome over anytime.”

Jughead waits until his dad leaves the room to breathe out a sigh of relief. 

_That went better than expected_ , he thinks. 

* * *

The Dive-In is pretty packed by the time they get there, but it’s still easy to spot Cheryl’s boat: it’s the biggest one docked by the shore. 

They’d decided to be casual about things, to just arrive together and act natural. 

This manages to go unnoticed for less than a minute. 

Kevin is the first to spot them arriving together, holding hands, Veronica wearing one of Jughead’s flannel shirts tied around her waist. He stares, mouth agape, as they both climb aboard the boat. 

“ _Humphrey_ ,” he starts, narrowing his eyes at Jughead, “are you ass-backwards crushing on Blair Waldorf?”

Jughead rolls his eyes, but the corners of his lips quirk up as he fights off a smile. Thanks to Veronica, he now understands that reference. 

Veronica rolls her eyes, too, but she’s grinning. “Shut _up_ , Kevin.”

“Synchronized eye rolls and everything,” Kevin presses, his eyes now comically wide. “Looks like Vughead rises. Or is Jeronica better?”

“ _Fuckin’ A_ ,” Toni mutters with an amused grin. 

“ _Excusez-moi_ ,” Cheryl arrives then, pushing Kevin off to the side. She stands there, one hand on her hip, taking in the whole scene. “So. _This_ is actually happening?” she asks, gesturing vaguely towards Jughead and Veronica. 

Veronica pulls her into a hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Hi, Cheryl,” she says, “thanks for the invite.”

“Yeah,” Jughead mumbles, tucking his hands into his bathing suit’s pockets. 

“Ronnie, dear, can you leave us? I need to converse with Jughead here.” 

“That depends,” Veronica says, eyes darting between her boyfriend and the redhead, “will Jughead be in his current pristine condition when I return?”

Cheryl grins a little too sweetly. “No promises.”

Jughead smirks, arms crossed over his chest. “Never been that pristine.”

Toni claps her hands together. “Okay,” she starts, linking an arm through Veronica’s, “we’re gonna go get snacks, check what’s the hold up with the rest of the guys. _Babe_ , play nice, yeah,” she adds, shooting a warning look to her girlfriend. “Kev, come on.”

Kevin pouts. “But I wanted to stay and watch,” he whines. 

“Let’s _go_.” Veronica grabs his arm and pulls him up. 

When they’re alone, Cheryl attempts to stare him down, but Jughead doesn’t fold. He crosses his arms over his chest and looks at her expectantly. 

_It’d be nice if they could finish this part quickly_ , he thinks. 

“So,” Cheryl finally speaks, mirroring his position and moving closer to tower over him in six inch heels. “You and Veronica.”

“ _Yep_.” Jughead pops the ‘p’. “Veronica and me. Is that gonna be a problem?”

“Easy, knock-off James Dean.” Cheryl raises an eyebrow. “Is it even possible that you’ve gotten more obnoxious over time?”

“Ooh, _zing_ ,” Jughead drawls, “I’ve been snapped. Got any other zippy one-liners, ginger snap?”

“Veronica’s my best friend.” There’s an earnestness in Cheryl’s tone that makes Jughead hold back whatever smartass comeback he’d been working up. “She’s been quite happy lately. Which, I suppose, means you have my blessing.” She then shrugs and adds, “ _That_ , and my T.T. still has a soft spot for you.”

Jughead has to laugh at that. “Truce?” he asks, extending a hand out. 

Cheryl looks down at it for a beat before shaking it. “You know she’s beautiful and you’re... _lucky_.”

“I won’t disagree.”

Cheryl beams. “Then we’ll get along just fine!” 

* * *

Veronica buys out half the snack stand because by now she’s used to the black hole that is her boyfriend’s digestive system. At Toni’s request, she also gets an assortment of slushees, which apparently Cheryl plans to spike with vodka.

After fifteen minutes of discussing flavors and nothing else, Kevin is about to explode. The boy is literally vibrating. He needs details. _Now._

“You were holding hands with Riverdale’s very own Holden Caulfield - _what_ is happening right now?!”

Veronica decides she doesn’t need to be prolific, but she does tell them the important part: yes, her and Jughead are indeed dating now. The rest, as they say, is none of their business.

“You seem to be taking this in stride,” Veronica comments, handing Kevin a tray full of food to keep him busy. 

“Hey,” Toni says, raising her palms, “I always said when I pictured Jug’s girlfriend I imagined Emily the Strange. So really, this seems about right to me.”

Veronica laughs as she grabs the last popcorn bucket. “Think they’re both still alive over there?” she asks, jutting her chin out towards the boat. 

“Believe it or not, Cheryl has been doing really good lately. I think a the distance from Riverdale has been healthy for her.” Toni takes a long sip from her drink, adds, “That, and she’s been seeing a psychologist for six months now.”

Veronica blinks, arching her eyebrows. “Well, that certainly deserves a toast, but definitely with something stronger,” she says. “Let’s go open that bottle of vodka.”

* * *

The movie plays on mostly ignored while they all drink, and it’s a bit embarrassing how quickly they all end up drunk. 

Veronica sits on Jughead’s lap and they eat Red Vines and drink enough slushees to turn their tongues blue. He finds himself having a really hard time focusing on anything right now because that backless one-piece she’s wearing has a plunging neckline and his eyes keep wandering down until she grabs a handful of his hair and pulls his face up. 

“My eyes aren’t that low, Torombolo.” She actually giggles. God, they’re already way past tipsy. 

“I love your eyes.” Jughead licks his lips and grins. “I love your everything.” 

Then suddenly his mouth is on hers. No, her mouth is on his. Well, it’s hard to tell who initiates things, but the point is they’re making out like nobody’s watching.

She straddles him and slides her tongue into his mouth, her fingers tangling in his hair and pulling, just enough to make him let out a moan. His hands move down her back, fingertips digging into the exposed skin, making shivers run down her spine. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but the heat of his hands on her back, his chest pressed up against hers, make her heart to race in a way she hopes never stops. 

And then Cheryl dumps a bucket of water on them and that’s that. 

“ _Fuck_!” Jughead bolts up, pulling Veronica with him. 

“You are such a bitch.” Veronica glares at Cheryl, reaching for a towel.

Meanwhile, Sweet Pea is doubled over in laughter, thrilled that he’d managed to record that on his phone. 

“Hey,” Cheryl bites back, “I did not sign up for front row seats to this heterosexual hormonal saliva exchange.”

Toni arrives then. “I leave for _literally_ 2 minutes to get refills and this happens,” she mutters to no one in particular. 

“It had to be done,” Kevin pipes in. 

Jughead and Veronica exchange a look and she shrugs before they both burst out laughing. She reaches up to tussle his hair, splashing droplets of water towards Cheryl. 

“You know this means war, right?”

Cheryl spreads her arms in a ‘come-at-me’ gesture. “Bring it, smurfette.”

* * *

True to form, Cheryl and Veronica wrestle each other until they both fall in the lake. Jughead takes a more direct approach and picks up Toni to toss her off the side of the boat. Before he can get too cocky about it, though, Sweet Pea and Fangs tackle him into the water, too. Plus, Reggie and a bunch of the other former football players have water guns, so it’s basically a free for all. 

They try to settle things with a chicken fight, Veronica sitting on Jughead’s shoulders against Cheryl who’s sitting on Toni’s. Sweet Pea starts taking bets while Fangs and Kevin narrate the entire thing like it’s a wrestling match. It’s actually pretty even until Toni decides to play dirty and kicks Jughead’s legs out from under him, sending both him and Veronica underwater. 

When they surface, Jughead beams at her. “ _You’re still number one,_ ” he says.

Veronica grabs his face, stepping on her tiptoes to kiss him. She likes how much taller he is, specially when she’s barefoot. He grips her waist, lifting her up against his chest and deepening the kiss. 

“ _What the fuck_?!”

This, _obviously_ , is when Betty and Archie make their appearance. 

* * *

Jughead thinks he should have seen this coming. 

Things had been going surprisingly well. His dad had accepted his relationship with Veronica, albeit reluctantly. Despite all the jokes, everyone had seemed to be acting normal around them tonight. Hell, he’d been having a good time hanging out with _Cheryl Blossom_. Everything had been running smoothly. 

So, of course, something was bound to go wrong sooner rather than later. 

Of course Betty and Archie would arrive in town early and show up at the Dive-In to surprise everyone.

Of course they would walk in while he and Veronica are making out in the middle of the lake. 

Betty says, “Um...”

Veronica says, “Hey...”

Archie says, “What the hell, guys!”

Jughead says, “Wow. You’re here early.”

Suddenly it’s like the water around them is toxic, because everyone seems to take a step back and it’s just them, rooted in their place, Jughead standing there with Veronica’s legs wrapped around his waist and his hands on her ass. 

He clears his throat, setting her down on her feet. She reaches for his hand and he intertwines their fingers together. They exchange a quick look and he gives her a small nod, silently reminding her that he’s got her back. 

Whatever shock had them all stunned into silence dissipates and they’re bombarded by questions. 

“What is this?” - “Are you two actually together?” - “Is this for real?” - “What’s going on?”

* * *

Veronica and Betty end up sitting in a dingy tied close to the shore, both staring at the now blank screen that stretches out in the middle of the lake. 

It’s not like Veronica hadn’t thought about this moment throughout the year. She and Betty tried to FaceTime at least once a week, and there had been a million times when Veronica considered mentioning something about Jughead. 

But there hadn’t been anything to say until...well, until there _was_ something to say, and by then it was just easier to not mention anything at all. 

“The guy you were talking about on Spring Break,” Betty finally speaks. “The one you were trying so hard not to like, that was Jug, wasn’t it?”

Veronica licks her lips. “Bee, I swear, this wasn’t planned. I really thought we were just, I don’t know, helping each other survive freshman year. And then, by the time I realized it was more than that, I was...already in it.” She sighs, “And after that, I just wanted to wait so I could tell you everything face-to-face.”

“Which is more of a courtesy than I extended you, when I chickened out and told you about Archie in an email.” Betty chuckles quietly, almost to herself. “I guess I should’ve seen this coming,” she muses with a half-shrug. “I always did say you and Jug would make great friends.”

Veronica looks at her then and she has to laugh. “All-knowing Betty Cooper strikes again.”

“Look, Vee, it may be awkward, getting used to the new world order, but we’ll make do.” Betty smiles, reaching for her hand. “Our friendship will endure.”

Veronica cuts her eyes towards the shore where Jughead and Archie are still in the middle of...an animated discussion. “How about those two?” she asks. “Think they’ll endure, too?”

* * *

“She’s my ex-girlfriend, you’re supposed to be my best friend!” Archie’s practically shouting. “When did this even happen?”

Enough’s enough right then. Jughead has allowed Archie to rant for a bit because he’d figured Archie was shocked by the turn of events, but he won’t be made to feel badly about this. Not by Archie, not by anyone. 

“You do realize you’re currently dating Betty Cooper, right?” Jughead spits back. “I get that you’re surprised by this, but you need to take a step back right now, man. I wanted to talk to you when we had things figured out, Arch. I’m sorry you found out this way, but just so we’re crystal clear - that’s the only thing I’ll apologize about.”

Archie shakes his head. “ _Why_ are you two even together? _How_?”

“Why not? Is she supposed to be _above me_ somehow? Or maybe you think I’m not good enough to for her?” Jughead sighs, shaking his head. “I’m with her because I love her. And like I said, I have no intention of apologizing for that. Not now, not ever.”

He walks away and only makes it a few steps before he bumps into Veronica. She’s wearing his shirt now, the one she’d had tied around her waist before, and she’s wrapped her arms around herself in attempt to stay warm. “Caught the tail end of that conversation...”

Jughead smirks. “Did you now?”

“Yeah,” Veronica nods, taking a step towards him. “Gotta say, hearing you say that you won’t apologize for loving me was kind of hot.”

“Only said it ‘cause I meant it.” Jughead cradles her face in his hands and presses a kiss to her forehead. 

Veronica practically beams at him. She tilts his chin down with two of her fingers, wanting to look into his blue eyes to ask, “Stay with me tonight?”

“I’d like that,” Jughead replies. 

* * *

They sneak into the Pembrooke sometime after midnight, tripping over themselves and shushing each other. The fact that they’d stolen one of Cheryl’s vodka bottles and drank half of it in the back of the town car is in no way helping their efforts.   
  
After they almost do a face plant over a coffee table in the living room, Veronica presses her palm to Jughead’s mouth to suppress his laughter. Jughead, in turn, leans down to press his forehead against hers, his eyes sparkling. 

“Come on,” she whispers, pulling him into her bedroom and locking the door. 

They fall backwards into bed, landing side by side. Jughead spreads his arm out and Veronica rolls into him. He raises the half-empty vodka bottle. “We finishing this?”

Veronica pouts, pretending to think about it. Then her eyes widen in realization and she bolts up. “I have a better idea,” she says, reaches for her bag and rummages through it. When she turns around to face him, she’s holding a ziplock bag with a couple of joints inside. 

Jughead raises an eyebrow. “Where’d you score those?” he asks, sitting up. 

“Wilke,” Veronica answers with a half-shrug. “Now, I will admit, I haven’t tried it, but Wilke swears that it’s ‘quality shit’ that will not disappoint.”

* * *

Say what you will about Jughead’s roommate, but he is a man of his word - at least when it comes to weed. Just two hits each and Jughead and Veronica already feel stoned. 

“Babe, I’m _soooo_ hungry right now,” Jughead pouts, literally pulling on her leg. 

This sends Veronica into a fit of giggles. She extends a hand out, asking him to pass the joint. “ _Babe_? I wasn’t aware we were doing cutesy pet names now.”

Jughead considers this. “What shall I call you, then? Sweetheart, darling, honey, sugar, cupcake, pudding–”

“Okay, you need to eat something because you’re veering into food nicknames,” she interrupts him, “and that’s where I’m drawing the line.”

* * *

They hit the motherload when they raid the kitchen: an assortment cookies, cupcakes, brownies and even half a cake, all homemade.

Much to Jughead’s surprise, Hermione Lodge is a stress baker. 

They’re sitting on the kitchen island, eating the cake with forks right out of the container. 

“This feels very _Sixteen Candles_ ,” Veronica laughs. 

Jughead leans forward and pecks her lips. “These are _amazing_ ,” he says like an excited kid before shoving another forkful of cake into his mouth. 

Veronica reaches for a bottle of chocolate syrup. “Hey,” she says, tossing the bottle at him, “wanna go back to bed, _babe_?”

Jughead’s eyes dart between the bottle and his girlfriend. “Oh, _hell yes_.”

* * *

Jughead wakes up sometime after 5 a.m. with Veronica curled up against him. He smiles at the sight and presses a kiss to the top of her head. It takes him a while to find his bathing suit and shirt, but he manages to get dressed and tiptoe out of the Pembrooke undetected. 

He sneaks into the Cooper-Jones house through an unlatched kitchen window and is startled to find Betty sitting on a stool across from him. She’s still in last night’s bathing suit and she’s staring at him with an amused grin, head tilted. 

“I see I’m not the only one sneaking in this morning,” she comments from behind the rim of her coffee mug. 

“Guess not.” Jughead points to the coffee maker, asks, “Any extra?”

Betty nods. “Sit down, I’ll get it.”

Jughead sits on the nearest stool and grabs a cereal box. He starts eating the Frosted Flakes right out of the bag - _god, he’s hungry_! 

Betty smiles at the familiar sight as she hands him his coffee mug, the one with Vonnegut quotes that’s his favorite, and sits down. They sip their coffee in a somewhat awkward silence. 

“You don’t wear your beanie anymore,” Betty notes after a beat. 

Jughead smiles, running a hand through his hair. “Not anymore, no,” he says before dumping another handful of cereal in him mouth. “You don’t have your ponytail.”

Betty looks at him for a beat, studying his face carefully. “Guess we’ve both grown up quite a bit.” 

“Look, we live in the same house now, and you may eventually become my stepsister, which is gonna be a bit weird, but let’s not unpack _that_ right now,” Jughead says with an amused look. “But before all of that, we’ve always been friends. So, despite the awkwardness, I hope we can find a way of to be okay. Because I’m really happy right now, Betts.”

  
“It shows.” Betty’s quick to agree. “And we _are_ okay, Jug.”

Jughead mutters, “Yeah, tell that to Archie...”

“Archie will be okay with it, too. You’re his best friend and he loves you. He’s just...not so great at dealing with change. I guess he felt blindsided.” She bumps her shoulder against his, adds, “I promise he’ll come around.”

Jughead sighs, and he hopes this is one of those times when Betty’s just right.

* * *

Pop’s is in its mid-morning lull and Veronica has her favorite booth all to herself. She’s checking in on the reports that Pop Tate had prepared for her. It’s mostly busywork since she trusts Pop to run the shoppe and La Bonne Nuit without needing to double check things. 

She’s surprised when Jughead appears, jumping over the back of the booth to land next to her like that’s his signature move. He’s grinning at her and she rolls her eyes. “You’re such a little shit,” she accuses with a smirk. 

“And you like it,” he volleys. “Be nice, look what I brought you.” He hands her a cup of iced coffee and kisses her cheek. 

Veronica takes a sip. “Thanks, _babe_ ,” she says, biting down on the straw. “I missed you this morning.”

“Figured it was best if your mom didn’t catch me in your bed.” Jughead leans forward to steal a coffee sip. “What do you have planned for today?”

Veronica glances at her watch. “I should probably change soon. I’m covering an afternoon shift here. How about you?”

Jughead pulls a newspaper out of his back pocket. “Job hunting,” he says. “I’d talked to Sweet Pea about maybe painting houses this summer, but he’s signed up for some extra classes so that probably won’t work out.”

Veronica flashes him a grin. “Well, can you wait tables?” 

“What, you mean work at Pop’s?” 

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure if you bribe the owner with sexual favors you’ll get the job,” she winks. “I think with you we’ll probably have to forego the free-food-for-employees rule, though.”

Jughead laughs. “Sounds reasonable.” He wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her in. “You know, I always thought you looked really hot in that waitress uniform.”

Veronica arches her eyebrows. “Did you really?” 

“Yep. I spent all summer here when you took over, and I could just...never look away.”

The revelation comes as a surprise to her. Although she distinctly remembers how Jughead basically lived in his booth most of that summer, she never figured she had anything to do with it. 

“And here I thought you didn’t like me when were in high school,” she points out. “We were always snarking at each other.”

“Well, you always tease the ones you love,” he replies with a smile. “You sure about me working here?”

Veronica nods. “Definitely. Come on, let’s get you a uniform. If I remember correctly, you look pretty handsome in a bow tie.”

Jughead tilts his head, an idiot grin on his face as he watches her walk away.

 _Yeah_ , he thinks, _I can spend the whole summer like this_.

* * *

  
Veronica waits for Jughead at the Pembrooke lobby and when she actually spots him, she has to do a double take. He’s wearing a tucked-in blue button-down shirt with black pants and his suspenders are actually on properly. His hair is combed back and a single dark curl falls neatly across his forehead. 

“Hey, Clark Kent,” she greets with a grin, “you forgot the glasses.”

Jughead tucks his hands into his pockets and rolls his eyes. “ _Don’t_ ,” he asks, his tone somewhat pleading. 

She kisses him and snaps his suspenders, trying to get a smile out of him. “You look good,” she says. “That shirt really brings out your eyes.”

“Jellybean picked it out,” he mutters. 

“Well, she has excellent taste.” Veronica presses a kiss to the freckles on the right side of his neck. Normally this would be enough to get him to relax, but it doesn’t seem to be doing the trick right now. She stares, scrutinizing his face carefully. “You’re nervous,” she probes. “Are you actually scared of my mother?”

Jughead had been mostly fearless when he went up against Hiram Lodge and his plan to take over Riverdale. But somehow, the thought of facing Hermione Lodge as Veronica’s official boyfriend has him unnerved. 

“No,” he near croaks. He clears his throat. “ _No_. I just have a feeling that hell hath no fury like Hermione Lodge disapproving of her daughter’s boyfriend.”

“It’ll be fine.” Veronica reaches for his hand. “I’ve got your back no matter what. Besides,” she shrugs, “my mom’s not that bad.”

* * *

All things considered, it is not _that bad_. 

That said, if awkward silences were what plagued the Cooper-Jones dinner with Veronica, then an abundance of questions is what’s happening right now. Hermione wants to know about Jughead’s classes and grades and if he’s declared a major and any extracurriculars and did he really quit that “gang life” he’d taken up in high school. 

“¡ _Mami, ya basta_!” Veronica slams down her cutlery and glares. “ _Es una cena, no un interrogatorio_.”

Jughead has trouble keeping up after that. The Spanish class he’d taken in high school meant he could follow along a conversation if people were speaking slowly. But it seems like the more agitated Hermione and Veronica get, the faster they go. 

“ _Mi vida, solo quiero saber si estás segura de esta decisión_.” Hermione’s looking Veronica in the eye now, wanting a moment of honesty. “ _Claramente esto no es algo pasajero, estás enamorada. Esto va en serio_.”

Veronica looks to Jughead then, sees that deer in the headlights look on his face, and reaches for his hand before turning to her mother again. “ _Estoy segura de que lo amo y que quiero que esta relación funcione. Pero sobretodo, quiero saber que mi mamá me apoya en esto_.”

Hermione sighs, reaching for her wine glass. “ _Muy bien, cuentas con mi apoyo_ ,” she relents, turning to Jughead once more. “That’s an impressive course load, Jughead. Veronica tells me you were a great help in the classes you took together.”

Jughead swallows, stealing a glance at Veronica. She winks at him and he can feel his muscles relax a little bit. 

“Um, truthfully it was a team effort,” he says. “Veronica’s brilliant.” If nothing else, that seems to prompt a genuine smile from Hermione.

And for tonight, Jughead and Veronica will take their victories wherever they can find them.

* * *

Later, when Veronica walks Jughead downstairs, it feels more like they’ve made it through a police interrogation instead of a dinner. 

“Fascinating that not even the fear of facing my mother has dulled your appetite,” she comments. 

Jughead throws his head back, laughing like a little kid. “Scientists have yet to find a phenomenon that can dull my hunger,” he replies in a mock-serious tone. 

Veronica grabs him by the suspenders and pulls him in for a kiss. “I can’t believe it’s barely been a week,” she says. “I feel like we’ve been back for  
a month already.”

“I would have to concur.” 

Between the awkward meet the parents and everyone finding out they’re together, it’s been a lot. They are definitely out of their Yale bubble now. 

“You have your Thinky Jughead Face on.” Veronica stares at him, lips slightly pursed, eyes narrowed. 

Jughead grins, pulling her in to press a quick but heated kiss to her mouth. “I have an idea,” he announces. “Let’s go away tomorrow, just you and me, I’ll pick you up at nine?”

Veronica studies his face for a beat, running her thumb over his lower lip. His blue eyes seem brighter than she’s ever seen them right now, and the truth is there’s very little she’ll say no to when he’s looking at her like that. “It’s a date... _babe_.”

Jughead smirks. “Maybe ‘ _babe_ ’ will be our always.”

“Hey,” Veronica slaps his chest, “no John Green references. That’s _definitely_ where I’m drawing the line.”

Jughead chuckles at that. “Seriously. Tomorrow at nine?”

“I’ll be waiting.” Veronica kisses him goodnight and then wiggles her fingers goodbye as he drives off. 

This is good. They have the whole summer ahead of them. 


	2. angels roll their eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re really gunning for that boyfriend of the year award, aren’t you, Jones,” Veronica says, circling her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. 
> 
> Jughead shrugs a shoulder, grinning like a little shit. “Well, I do try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is later than I meant it to be and way more sappy, but I did tag this as “Angst? We don’t know her” so everyone was warned.

**summer**   
**part 2**

* * *

They get on Jughead’s bike and just drive. He keeps going until they pass the Welcome to Riverdale sign and when they stop he turns to flash her a grin.

“Where are we going?” Veronica asks. 

Jughead shrugs. “Just a park,” he says. “We’re playing hooky today. You trust me?”

“Yes.”

With her chin resting against Jughead’s shoulder, Veronica let’s her mind drift away. She’s happy to run away with him, even if it’s only for a day. 

It used to make her nervous to ride on his motorcycle, not that she’d ever actually admitted that to him. But they were the good kind of nerves, the ones that made her want to press her entire body against his and hold on for dear life. She was comfortable now, though. Whether it’s because she got used to it or because she trusted Jughead to have her back, she can’t quite say. 

"Hey,” Jughead asks, pulling her out of her thoughts, “you alright back there?"

"What?" Somehow she hadn’t even noticed that they had actually stopped. “Are we there yet?”

Jughead climbs off the bike and laughs. “Yes, princess.” He extends a hand to help her off. She grabs it and swings her leg over, and Jughead can’t help but stare.

“I figured we could have a picnic.” Jughead pulls a blanket out of one of the saddle bags. “There’s some cool food trucks just across the street, we can get some grub and relax for the afternoon before we move on to part two of the day.”

Veronica raises an eyebrow, but she’s smiling. “So there’s more than one part, huh?”

“Oh, yeah,” Jughead says, “we’re going all out.” 

* * *

They’re sitting under the shade of a big tree. Jughead’s leaning back against the trunk, legs crossed at the ankle out in front of him. Veronica’s laying down, her bare feet propped up on his lap, his free hand draped over her ankles. He’s reading a Murakami book, his fingers absentmindedly drawing circles on her skin. She’s got her eyes closed, listening to an audiobook and just enjoying this. It’s always been one of her favorite things, the way they can be together and still disappear into their own little worlds. 

He’s still completely enfuriating, of course. The way he reads with a pen tucked behind his ear or a highlighter hanging off the corner of his mouth so he can mark down quotes and jot his thoughts down on the margins. Not to mention that he dog ears everything, despite the fact that she spent the better part of a semester getting him a variety of bookmarks. Plus the way he’ll just fold whatever he’s reading to tuck it into his back pocket when he’s done. 

But she actually _likes_ reading his thoughts on the margins, always looks forward to discovering what he has to say about any particular passage. Plus, however dogeared and battered, he’ll surprise her with books just because he thinks she’ll enjoy them. In fact, he fosters her new appreciation for Vonnegut and Stephen King. Although she still firmly refuses to get into Kerouac, thank you very much. 

Watching him there, rereading _Kafka on the Shore_ for umpteenth time with that intense look she knows he gets whenever he’s concentrating, she can’t help but smile. 

_God, he’s a pretentious ass_ , she thinks. But he’s _her_ pretentious ass and she loves him like this. 

“Hey.” She sits up, resting her weight on her elbows, and pokes him with her foot, demanding his attention. “How about you tell me part two of the surprise?”

Jughead closes his book and grins. “You sure you’re ready for it?”

“Bring it on, Torombolo.”

* * *

“Okay, so get on the bike from the left side,” Jughead starts, holding it steady for her. 

Surprise is most definitely the right word for this because, after Veronica had nearly crashed the bike into a fence last year, Jughead had sworn she’d never get to drive his baby again. 

“Get a feel for the handlebars, the weight of the bike underneath you,” he instructs, “make sure you’re comfortable.” 

Veronica arches an eyebrow and climbs on. “Gotta ask, _why_ specifically from the left side?” 

“Don’t know.” Jughead shrugs. “Something about horses and swords. It’s not important.”

They both laugh at the silliness of it all, and it helps Veronica relax a little as she starts the bike. 

Jughead goes about listing where all the gears are. He can tell she’s paying attention because she’s doing that thing where she tucks her hair behind her ears and bites her lower lip. God, she always looks extra cute when she does that. 

“You ready?" he asks when he’s done. 

Veronica gives him a swift nod. "Yes, I think so,” she says. “You know, it just never really seems like there’s this much going on when I watch you do it."

"Well, that’s because I’m just that good." Jughead flashes her a grin, and she’s always secretly liked it when he gets cocky like this. "And remember: gentle touch with the throttle, okay?”

“Got it.”

Suddenly, the bike jerks forward and she lets out an embarrassing shriek. 

(Afterwards, she’ll wholeheartedly deny ever shrieking through any part of the process and he’ll laugh before kissing her and whispering, “Whatever you say, princess,” in her ear.)

" _Oh, shit_ ,” Jughead mutters, running after her and hopping on before she can pick up more speed.

Feeling him pressed up behind her, Veronica lets out a breath, her entire body relaxing in his arms.

“Easy there, Speed Racer.” He chuckles and places one hand on the throttle over hers, his other arm circling her waist to hold her close. “I got you,” he says, bringing them to a stop. 

“Maybe you should take over.”

Jughead presses a quick kiss to her neck. “You’re Veronica Lodge. You can do anything. I got you,” he repeats. “And you got _this_.” 

He knows if she lets her nerves get the best of her now, she'll never learn to ride. He also knows her well enough to know she’ll regret it if she cowers out of following through on this. 

“Let’s try again.” He talks her through it once more. 

It’s kind of amazing, the way he has of calming her nerves with such small gestures: keeping his hands over hers, pressing a kiss to her neck when she repeats the gears back to him, staying behind her and holding her steady until she grows more confident. 

* * *

An hour later, Jughead rests a hand on her hip as she drives them down Main Street. He’s leaning back and letting her take control, and he’s surprised by how much he’s enjoying having her take the lead like this. 

They park in front of a small cafe and Veronica cuts off the engine, turning around to beam at him. “I did it!”

Jughead kisses her. “You handled it like a pro,” he beams back at her. “Wanna drive us back home when we’re done?”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely,” Jughead nods. 

Veronica wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. “ _Te amo, Torombolo._ ”

And the biggest surprise of the day is Jughead replying, “ _Yo te amo más_.”

* * *

The little cafe is also an independent book store, the third part of their day running away. 

They get lost in the cramped aisles, going over the stacks of new and used books. They each agree to only buy one because they both already own way too many and their to-be-read piles are about a mile long. 

In the end, she picks out a book for him and he picks out a book for her. They buy coffee and Jughead eats half his weight in pastelitos at the café. He steals her Wayfarers and she actually lets him. 

“They look better on you, James Dean,” she says, pressing a quick kiss to his mouth. 

He loops an arm around her waist and pulls her close, kissing her again and giving her the keys. “Come on, you can drive me home.” 

* * *

They pull up in the driveway, Veronica still giggling when she climbs off the bike. The drive back had taken a little longer since she wasn’t quite ready to push the speed limits yet, but Jughead hadn’t complained. If anything, he seemed really into her chauffeuring him around on his motorcycle.   
  
Veronica was quick to agree to stay the night with him. They’d both gotten so used to sleeping together, in every sense of the word. 

In fact, upon coming home this summer, Jughead had been surprised to find that he actually missed waking up with a mouthful of black hair and both pillows on Veronica’s side. 

Jughead’s laying in bed, watching her get undressed. She’s down to her panties, something lacy, black and expensive, when she pulls a t-shirt from his top drawer and slides it on. 

“What?” she asks when she notices the grin on his face. 

Jughead shrugs and licks his lips. “It’s a good look on you.” 

It’s the first time he’s seen her wearing one of his ‘S’ t-shirts and they most definitely look better on her than on him. 

She jumps into bed, moving to straddle him and in between heated kisses they decide that it’s best to be quiet. Neither is very good at that. 

“Okay, we both suck at being quiet,” Veronica notes, leaning down to whisper in his ear, “how about we do anything but, and then we cuddle?”

Jughead chuckles. “How can I say no to that offer?”

* * *

Next morning, Veronica stands astride Jughead in bed, taking a Polaroid picture of him. 

He groans, opening one eye. “You better get my good side,” he mutters. 

“Roll over, then,” Veronica says, crouching until she’s sitting down on his lap. She shakes the picture, watching the image of Jughead hugging a pillow slowly appear. “You looked cute sleeping.”

Jughead wraps his arms around her, throwing her to the side and rolling himself on top. “I knew you found my bed head sexy.”

Veronica kisses him. “It’s your best look,” she says, running her fingers through his hair. “But your sheets suck, by the way.”

Jughead smiles, leaning into her touch. “Hey, be nice,” he starts, “I still have one more surprise from yesterday, you know.” He reaches into his jeans’ pockets and pulls out an envelope.

Veronica raises an eyebrow, opening the envelope and squealing when she pulls out a pair of concert tickets. “Jug!” She grins, grabbing his face and kissing him. “This is amazing! How do you even _know_ who Bad Bunny is?”

Jughead shrugs. “You left your Spotify account logged onto my computer,” he says. “When I saw he had a date at Madison Square Garden, I figured we could drive down for the day.”

“You’re really gunning for that boyfriend of the year award, aren’t you, Jones,” Veronica says, circling her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. 

Jughead shrugs a shoulder, grinning like a little shit. “Well, I do try.”

Veronica slaps his chest playfully. “I’m serious about the sheets, though.”

“Fine, princess,” Jughead rolls his eyes. “Next time you can bring your own.”

“You mock, but I definitely will,” Veronica replies. “And _what_ is the deal with your room in general? It’s basically a bed and a dresser. Why don’t you have any stuff?” 

“To be honest, I never really made myself at home here,” Jughead sighs, rolling back to his side of the bed. “I wasn’t too sure the whole thing with my dad and Mrs. Cooper would last. Then I was leaving for Yale and there didn’t seem to be much of a point to it.”

Veronica hmms, quirking her eyebrows together. “I get that,” she says, “ _but_...this is where you’re coming back to now. It should be yours.” 

“Wanna help me out, then?” Jughead proposes, knowing how much she loves throwing herself into a project.

Veronica presses a quick kiss to his lips and smiles. “You trust my taste?”

“Most definitely.”

“Then you got yourself a deal, Torombolo.”

* * *

It becomes a summer-long project for Veronica, making Jughead’s room his own. 

The day after she sleeps over for the first time, she shows up with new dark-blue Egyptian cotton sheets. The weekend after that, a bookshelf is delivered to the Cooper-Jones house and they spend the better part of 3 hours bickering over how to put it together until Jellybean steps in and helps them out. Then come a desk and a bedside table. Finally, she finds a small futon that she hates, but she knows he’ll love.

With the furniture out of the way, she surprises him randomly with miscellaneous decor and tchotchkes: a poster of _A Confederancy of Dunces_ and a lava lamp and a little bulletin board she fills with some Bulldogs paraphernalia, old pictures and clippings of his newspaper articles. 

The latest and most random addition is a record player and a box of old classic-rock albums. 

“Because a guy as obnoxious as you should listen to his music on vinyl,” is Veronica’s reply when Jughead asks her about it. 

Jughead just grins and kisses her, and they spend way too many summer afternoons laying around in their underwear, listening to old records, and occasionally smoking a joint while they belt out Landslide. 

* * *

Veronica is working the afternoon shift at Pop’s when Archie walks in.

“Archie Andrews,” Veronica greets with a smile. “You haven’t been in in a while.”

“Yeah, um, I’m just picking up dinner. Mom called it in.”

Veronica looks up the to-go order list and goes get it from the back. “Alright, it’s all paid for. You’re good to go.”

Archie nods, grabbing his bags in silence. “I saw you,” he starts suddenly, “a few weeks ago, you were driving Jughead’s bike.” He laughs, shakes his head. “I don’t think he’s ever let anyone drive that bike.”

“When are you two gonna stop being idiots and make up?” Veronica asks. 

Archie sighs. “It’s not that simple, Ronnie.”

“Don’t ‘ _Ronnie_ ’ me, Archie.” Veronica arches a perfectly groomed eyebrow. “It _is_ that simple. He’s your best friend.”

“Who’s been sneaking around with my ex-girlfriend for months!”

Veronica sighs. “You and I barely talked all year long, Archie. There was no sneaking around, because whatever we did while we were away was nobody’s business. We didn’t your permission, or anyone else’s for that matter.”

“Do you seriously like Jughead?”

Veronica’s eyes immediately narrow. “ _Why wouldn’t I_?” Then she crosses her arms over chest and Archie still knows her well enough to realize that the change in her body language is a warning; it’s saying thread lightly. 

Archie raises his palms, a small gesture of surrender. “When we were dating, we all occasionally hung out together,” he says, “and I recall you and Jug never really...got along.”

It’s a surprise, the little smile that tugs at Veronica’s lips at hearing that. “He snuck up on me,” she admits. “I mean, he still frequently infuriates me beyond words, but he’s also quite...”

Archie furrows his brow. It dawns on him then, the way Veronica is acting right now, how she has to fight off a smile at the mention of his name, how she can’t even find the words for the way she cares for him - she actually _loves_ Jughead.

“You don’t wear your pearls anymore,” he notes, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Veronica’s left hand moves up to her neck reflexively, her fingers rubbing at the empty spot where her pearl necklace used to rest. She hasn’t worn it in a year, and to be honest she hasn’t missed it. “No pearls in college,” she says, laughing quietly to herself. 

“Guessing the same goes for Jug’s beanie, then.”

“You know,” Veronica starts, “the popular opinion here seems to be that I’m going to be the one to wreck Jughead.”

Archie nods. “Probably ‘cause everyone can see how much he’s in love with you.” He pauses, studying her expression for a beat. “Although, clearly he’s not the only one who fell hard here. I’ll see you around, Ronnie.”

* * *

July is almost upon them and the summer heat is getting unbearable. 

That’s the only viable explanation for how Jughead Jones finds himself at the Riverdale Country Club on a Tuesday afternoon. 

It’s not a new thing for him, to feel so entirely out of place for him. 

Veronica, on the other hand, conducts herself with the same easy poise she always has. She greets the employees by their first name, makes polite small talk and flashes everyone her best smile. 

He hates to think such cliche bullshit, but he can’t deny that there’s something special about Veronica Lodge in the summertime. 

It’d been cold more often than not back in New Haven. He’d fallen for her on autumn and winter, with cozy sweaters and cold nights, while he stole her scarfs and she buried herself in his coats. During the summer, he’s surprised to find how she steals his flannels and wears them tied around her waist or as a wrap-up dress. 

More often than not lately, they’re down to their bathing suits. They’ve spent countless afternoons sneaking off to the swimming hole or lounging around the pool at Thistlehouse.

(And _yes_ , somehow he has also ended up hanging out semi-regularly with Cheryl Blossom. Even more surprising, they have _fun_. Plus that one afternoon they all got stoned after accidentally eating an entire batch of Nana Blossom’s glaucoma pot brownies had been epic. Well, not for Toni who hadn’t eaten any and ended up babysitting Jughead, Veronica and Cheryl, but still.)

Anyways, Veronica had lured him to the Country Club with promises of a pool-side snack bar, and of course he can’t turn down free food. 

Besides, in this godforsaken heat, who in their right mind would say no to hanging out in a pool all afternoon?

They have the whole thing to themselves and Veronica slips the lifeguard a hundred dollar bill to let them have the run of the place. So they do canon balls off the diving board and fool around underwater and drink piña coladas on inflatable floating chairs. Ever the dutiful boyfriend, he lathers her back with sunblock and then proceeds to toss her back in the water. 

“You’re gonna pay for that later,” Veronica threatens, but she’s grinning. 

Jughead smirks, jumping in after her. He resurfaces behind her and loops an arm around her waist, pulling her against his chest and pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck. “Do you _promise_?”

Later, when they’re clowning around, Veronica steals his swim trunks right off of him and refuses to give them back. It’s not as if any of this was ever on his bucket list, but when she goes down on him underwater and they have sex in the pool, well...Jughead is most definitely not complaining. 

* * *

Officially, Jughead and Archie don’t really talk again until the 4th of July week. 

It’s coming up on the anniversary of Fred’s passing and while he’s certainly on everyone’s minds, life in Riverdale carries on. 

Still, on the day of, Jughead finds himself at the Andrews’ home and Mary is quick to invite him in when he knocks, telling him to make himself at home. 

Jughead laughs quietly to himself. He’d always done just that. In fact, Mr. Andrews had always insisted on it. 

He finds Archie on the roof, hugging his knees to his chest as he watches the beginning of the sunset. 

“Figured I’d find you up here.” Jughead climbs out the window, two Pop’s to-go cups in his hands. 

Archie watches him plop down next to him and asks, “What’re you doing here, Jug?”

“Come on, Arch,” Jughead says, handing him one of the cups. “You’re still my best pal. I promised you that I’d always be here for you today, man. I’m not going back on my word.”

Archie flashes him a half-smile, the first one he’s been able to muster today, and takes a sip. “Milkshake?”

“At first I thought beers, but...I don’t know, Pop’s shakes just seemed right, you know?” Jughead sighs, lifting his own cup. “To your dad?”

Archie does the same and nods. “To dad,” he agrees. 

They sit there a while longer, watching the sun go down in silence. Finally, Archie speaks. “I’ve been an asshole lately,” he admits, still staring straight ahead. “I’m sorry. You and Ronnie, it seems like you’ve got a really good thing going.” Archie smiles and adds, “Don’t screw it up.”

Jughead smirks at that. “Definitely trying not to.” He sighs, turning to face Archie. “Are we okay, man?”

Archie nods. “We are, dude. I was just surprised, and I guess the whole thing caught me off guard. But Ronnie and me, that’s ancient history now. I mean, I still care about her, but not in _that_ way, you know? And I really _am_ sorry, for the way I reacted at the Dive-In that night. You seem really happy, dude.”

“I am,” Jughead confirms, raising his cup. “To finding happiness in unexpected places, huh?”

Archie taps his cup against Jug’s. “Cheers to that.”

* * *

  
It feels good, like a huge weight off Jughead’s shoulders, when he and Archie are finally okay again. 

Veronica kisses the side of his head when he tells her. “I’m glad you and your boyfriend made up,” she says. 

Betty, of course, wastes no time in planning a milkshakes date at Pop’s. They’re in their regular booth, in a not entirely unfamiliar arrangement. (After all, once upon a time, Veronica used to sit by Jughead’s side and Betty used to sit by Archie’s.) 

It should be awkward, they suppose, but between Betty and Veronica, there are no awkward silences and after a while they settle into their usual banter. 

They’re on another round of milkshakes and fries, Jughead dipping them right in his shake, when Veronica reaches for his plate and grabs a handful of fries. 

“Holy shit,” Archie chuckles. 

Betty gapes, nodding along with him. “I know, _right_!”

Jughead frowns. “What?”

“Dude.” Archie deadpans. “You _never_ share food.”

“Vee just stole fries right off your plate without losing a hand.” Betty laughs in wonderment. 

Veronica smirks, exchanging a look with Jughead. “Oh, the things he does for love,” she swoons, batting her eyelashes at him. 

Jughead’s cheeks turn bright red. Veronica may be joking right now, but she’s not necessarily _wrong_. 

Cheryl appears then, frowning at the sight. “ _Ugh_ , you two were more tolerable when you were at each other’s throats all the time.”

Toni laughs, nudging her girlfriend’s shoulder with her own. “Babe, be nice. They’re _in love_. All her teasing him only makes him like her more, which I think is sort of cute.” 

“I think I agree with Toni on that,” Betty says. 

Cheryl pulls out four envelopes and hands them out. Each is addressed in neat calligraphy, Veronica and Betty’s with their names and Jughead and Archie’s with _Veronica’s Plus One_ and _Betty’s Plus One_ , respectively. “We’re throwing an end of summer party at Thistlehouse, for old times sake. Costumes are a must in order to attend. Toodles!”

They open their invitations and find that the theme is movie costumes, so that should be fun. 

* * *

Veronica is getting herself a glass of water when Jellybean walks into the kitchen. 

“Nice to see we’re already at the ’pants optional’ stage of our relationship, sis,” Jellybean sniggers.

Veronica jumps up startled, bringing a hand to her chest. “Didn’t think anyone else was here.” She’s only wearing panties and one of Jughead’s undershirts. It hadn’t been hard, making herself at home with Jughead.

“I can tell.” Jellybean can’t keep the smirk off her face as she reaches for the cookie jar.

Veronica smirks. “What happened to camp today?”

“It let out early.”

“Well, your brother and I are going to the Bijou to catch a movie later if you want to tag along,” Veronica offers. 

Jellybean considers this. “Sounds fun, but it’d be hard to focus on the movie with you and Jug making out.”

Veronica laughs, reaching for a cookie, too. “Promise we will do our best to keep the PDA down to a minimum, JB,” she raises a hand, adds, “scout’s honor.”

“ _Fine_ ,” Jellybean relents with a sigh as if it’s a huge effort. “But I’m picking the movie.”

Veronica smirks at that. “I will let your brother know.”

* * *

Smithers drives them all down to the Bijou and Jellybean is living for the mini-fridge that’s in the fancy town car. She really should have been born rich because she can definitely get used to this.

They end up going to a marathon of the original _Jurassic Park_ movies. Despite some grumbling, Jughead complies with the promise to tone down the PDA. 

On the drive home, Jughead just sits back and watches Veronica attempt to catch the M&M’s that JB is tossing at her mouth.

All summer long, Veronica’s been really cool about spending time with his baby sister, be it inviting her to the movies or slipping her free fries at Pop’s or painting her nails with different colors whenever they’re bored around the house.

“Babe,” Veronica calls out, snapping him out of it, “you wanna play with us?

“Yes. But fair warning - I am a _pro_ at M&M basketball.”

Jellybean rolls her eyes. “ _Please_ ,” she says, “you can’t beat the dream team, bro.”

“Yes!” Veronica laughs , high-fiving Jellybean. 

Jughead just smiles at the sight.

It sounds trite, but he could swear he falls a little bit more in love with Veronica just then. 

* * *

It’s the last week of summer and Veronica is surprised to find she’s sad to see it come to an end. Sure, she’s definitely ready to go back to school. 

Yale had been the place where she could breathe and be herself without being held down by her family’s reputation, the place where she ended up falling in love with the most unexpected boy and they’d been so stupidly happy. Besides, even with their occasional FaceTime dates, she’s missed Lydia, Becks and Ashleigh these past few months, too. 

But being in Riverdale for the summer had been unexpectedly great. She’d also missed Cheryl and Toni, her mom, even working at Pop’s had been good during the break. She’s surprised to find herself sad at the prospect of it all ending tomorrow. 

“What are you thinking about?” Jughead wraps his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder and meeting her eyes in the mirror. “You got that look, like your brain’s going into overdrive.”

Veronica tilts her head to rest atop of his. “Just that I can’t believe the summer is over.” She brings a hand up to run it through his hair. “What do you think? We look good?”

They’d heavily debated what their costumes would be. Veronica had been quick to veto all of his Tarantino suggestions, and of course Jughead had refused to do _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_. She’d suggested _Dirty Dancing_ , which he’d countered with _Rocky Horror_. He pitched _Star Wars_ and she suggested _Casablanca_. 

This went on an on, until Jughead jokingly suggested _Ferris Bueller_ and Veronica actually agreed. 

Now, she’s in one of those short vintage skirts along with a white fringe jacket. He likes those. But then again, he’s always liked all the prissy shit she wears. Even if he’d never admitted it before. 

“You look beautiful.” He presses a quick kiss to her cheek. 

She spins around in his arms, linking her wrists behind his neck and pressing her lips agains his. “You look pretty handsome yourself,” she says. “Who knew a patterned sweater-vest and oversized slacks would be such a good look on you, Torombolo?”

He presses his forehead against hers. “I love you. You know that, right?”

Pulling back, she studies his face for a long moment, then she runs her thumb over his lower lip. “I do,” she whispers. 

This time, when she kisses him, there is nothing quick about it. 

* * *

Thistlehouse is lit up, music blaring out into the night. It’s not as packed as it used to be before, and that’s perhaps the only telltale sign that indeed they aren’t in high school anymore. 

Veronica reaches for Jughead’s hand and intertwines their fingers together. “We don’t have to stay for the whole thing,” she tells him, knowing full well he’s never been into Cheryl’s parties. 

“It’s fine.” Jughead presses a kiss to her forehead and flashes her a smile. “It’s the last night of summer and, loathe as I am to admit it, I’ve grown somewhat _fond_ of Cheryl.”

Veronica has to laugh at that. “Color me shocked.”

She reaches for his hand, intertwining her fingers through his before pulling him into the party.

Inside, there’s a fully stocked bar, a photo-strip booth right in the middle of the living room, and Sweet Pea behind a turn table acting as DJ.

Veronica grins, tugging at Jughead’s arm. “We are _definitely_ gonna have a turn in there,” she tells him. “I’m gonna go find Cheryl.”

Jughead nods. “I’m gonna go get a drink.”

“You gonna sing us Danke Schoen later?” Toni pops up behind him and hands him a solo cup. 

Jughead smirks before taking a sip. “Get me drunk enough and it’s a solid maybe,” he says, looking at her from head to toe. “Where’s the lasso, Wonder Woman?”

“Ooh, I forgot in our bed,” Toni replies completely unabashed. 

“I regret having asked now.” Jughead scrunches up his nose. “So, who’s Cheryl dressed up as?”

Toni beams. “Mera, queen of the seven seas.”

“Her costume’s amazing,” Betty says, joining in on their conversation. Her long blonde hair is hanging loose around her shoulders and she’s wearing a drapey red dress. She looks like some kind of princess. 

“Who are you supposed to be?” Toni asks. 

It’s not until Archie comes back with drinks that their costumes make sense. He’s in black pirate attire with a black eyemask and a sword hanging off his belt. 

“Westley and Buttercup,” Jughead’s quick to guess. “ _The Princess Bride_ , a true classic.”

They’re pulled into a game of Beer Pong by Reggie and Fangs then. Cheryl is keeping score and the winner gets serious bragging rights. Archie and Jughead team up against Kevin and Fangs, and Toni has dibs on the winner. She’s certain that she’ll be wiping the floor with all the boys.

When Jughead makes the winning shot, everyone screams and when his eyes meet Veronica’s, she’s cheering louder than the rest of them. He can’t help but to grin proudly at that. 

It’s surprisingly fun, they both find, to just let loose for a night with their old friends. 

(Even if Jughead is quick to point out he wasn’t ever much of a friend with all these people in the first place...)

* * *

The photo-booth is small and they’re both a little drunk when they finally go in. So Veronica sits on Jughead’s lap and he is most definitely not complaining about the accommodations. They spend a while making out, both forgetting that there’s a small screen outside the booth and everyone can probably see them. They pose for a bunch of pictures, making funny faces and sticking their tongues out and there’s one where he’s sucking on her neck and she’s giggling. 

Still, Jughead can tell something’s off with her. “What’s going with you?” he asks. “You’re still doing the thing, like your brain’s running a million miles a second. You sure you’re okay?”

“I don’t know,” Veronica admits. “I just...I’m happy to be going back, but I’m also kind of sad that summer’s ending. I suppose it’s just dawning on me that I don’t even know where home is anymore.”

Jughead reaches for her hand. “I know,” he says as their fingers entwine. “Home is just wherever I’m with you.”

And while they both may be drunk, he’s being a touch too earnest right now, and they’re both aware of the fact. 

One corner of her mouth lifts slightly, a soft smirk on her lips, but her eyes are bright when they glance up to meet his. “That’s a good answer, Jug.” 

Then she lays a palm on his cheek and pulls him into a kiss, and she has to agree. 

It feels like home. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have caught up with season 4.  
> I regret it.


End file.
